Packers GM Explains Why He Didn’t Give Aaron Rodgers a Heads Up About Drafting Jordan Love

Damage control is still happening in Green Bay by their GM. General manager Brian Gutekunst told The MMQB that he wasn’t able to warn Rodgers before Jordan Love was drafted. The Green Bay Packers’ decision to trade up for quarterback Jordan Love in the 2020 draft is the main reason MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been pissed at the Packers Brass.

Gutekunst explained:

“Quite frankly, if that was even a possibility, I would’ve loved to do that. We didn’t go into that draft thinking, ‘Hey, we’re gonna target this and do it.’ If that was the case, we probably would’ve done that. That wasn’t reality. Would that have changed anything? I don’t know if Aaron, with the issues he has, if that’s really part of it. But a player like Aaron, in a situation like that, you would’ve loved to give him a heads up. It’s just that the way this thing transpired, that wasn’t a possibility.”

In @AlbertBreer’s MMQB column:

🏈 LaFleur and Gutekunst on Rodgers
🏈 How Indy is dealing with the Wentz injury
🏈 Dalton/Fields has a Smith/Mahomes feel
🏈 Frustration in Minnesota
🏈 Nick Chubb’s new deal
🏈 Why Xavien Howard is upset
🏈 much more!https://t.co/QwqSlojU0l

— The MMQB (@theMMQB) August 2, 2021

Rodgers has been unhappy with the front office’s reluctance to include him:

Rodgers says another frustration was he wasn't used in free-agent recruiting. Feels it's needed in Green Bay, which isn't a "vacation destination." #Packers "tried to throw some money at me." Says it was about more than that, though he didn't want to be a "lame duck" QB.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 28, 2021

Going back to something Rodgers said earlier, he wasn't consulted on the hiring of Matt LaFleur (which is absolutely nuts, btw). "I love Matt, we've had a blast and I'm glad he's here," but it was clear at that point the #Packers' organization viewed his job as "just play."

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 28, 2021

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Head coach Matt LaFleur told Breer that he doesn’t want to see Rodgers go anywhere anytime soon:

“I mean, the guy is, in my eyes, the greatest to ever do it. So yeah, why wouldn’t you want to [keep coaching him]? And I think he’s still got a lot left in the tank. I see it every day. He has so much fun out there, too, just competing. The ball’s still jumping out of his hand so damn effortlessly. So yeah, if he were to have retired, I would’ve put it in the same category as how I felt growing up in Michigan [when Barry Sanders retired].”

At this point Rodgers will be there for at least another season. The minute he can play elsewhere, I’d assume he’d jump at the opportunity.

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